Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the severity measure for specific phobia - child form according to DSM-5

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Severity Measure for Specific Phobia - Child Form according to DSM-5. Method: The study group consisted of 50 patients treated in a child psychiatry unit and diagnosed with any specific phobia and 100 healthy volunteers. For the assessment, the Screen for Childhood Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) was used along with the Severity Measure for Specific Phobia - Child Form according to DSM-5. Results: For reliability, Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient was calculated to be 0.961. Test-retest correlation coefficient was calculated r=0.750. As for construct validity, one factor that could explain 74.1% of the variance was obtained, which is consistent with the original structure of the scale. As for concurrent validity, the correlation coefficient with the SCARED in children is r=0.480. Conclusion: It was concluded that the Turkish version of the DSM-5 Severity Measure for Specific Phobia - Child Form can be utilized as a valid and reliable tool both in clinical practice and for research purposes.